Table of Contents
Nicaraguan Pedro is a fun and exciting trick-taking card game for 4 players. The players are divided into two teams of 2, and partners sit opposite each other.
The main goal of the game is simple be the first team to reach 52 points. To do this, teams bid on how many tricks they can win and aim to capture certain high-value cards.
Let’s break down the rules step by step.
Setup
- The first dealer is chosen randomly. After each round, dealing moves to the left.
- The dealer shuffles the deck and gives each player 7 cards.
- The remaining deck stays in the middle as a draw pile.
- Now the bidding round can begin.
Card Rankings and Values
In Nicaraguan Pedro, card rankings change depending on the trump suit chosen for the round.
Here’s what you need to know:
Trump cards ranking (highest to lowest):
Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5 (of the trump suit), 5 (of the same color as the trump), 4, 3, 2.
Non-trump cards follow a simple ranking:
Ace (high), King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2.
The 5 of the same color as the trump suit also counts as a trump card.
(Example: If hearts are trump, the 5 of diamonds also becomes trump.)
Scoring Cards in the Trump Suit:
Only certain trump cards give points:
- Ace – 1 point
- Jack – 1 point
- Ten – 1 point
- 5 (of trump) – 5 points
- 5 (of same color) – 5 points
- 2 of trump – 1 point
The Ace, Jack, Ten, and 5s are scored by whoever wins them in tricks.
The 2 of trump is scored by the player who was dealt it at the start.
Bidding
Bidding starts with the player to the dealer’s left.
A player can bid once or pass.
- The minimum bid is 7 tricks, and the maximum is 14.
- If all three players pass, the dealer must bid at least 6.
- The highest bidder wins the right to choose the trump suit.
After that:
- Each player discards any unwanted cards face down.
- The dealer refills everyone’s hands to 7 cards.
- The dealer can also exchange their cards with those in the remaining deck or discard piles.
Gameplay
- The highest bidder leads the first trick.
- Play continues clockwise.
- Players must follow suit if possible. If they can’t, they may play a trump or any other card.
- Highest trump wins the trick. If no trump is played, the highest card of the suit led wins.
- The winner of a trick leads the next one.
- Teams aim to capture the high-value scoring cards while also meeting their bid.
Scoring
- The bidding team must win at least the number of tricks they bid.
- If they succeed, they score all the points they earned from tricks.
- If they fail, they lose points equal to what they earned in the round.
- The non-bidding team scores points for any high-value cards they win, regardless of the other team’s success.
Winning the Game
The game continues over multiple rounds.
The first team to reach 52 points is declared the winner.
Also Read: Start An Online Casino In Mexico: Simple Steps For Success
